Chuck Schuldiner Project

Monday, June 30, 2014

UltraMantis Black-S/T

Yesterday I mentioned that every Relapse band is distinctly different, and never has that been more true than with UltraMantis Black. Sure they have grindcore touches and maybe even a splash of black metal here and there, but this EP full of unbridled aggression is certainly not the kind of thing that you immediately understand. Furthermore, though it's 9 songs long, the record has an incredibly brief run time, leaving you feeling beat up and torn apart, unable to take more just as UltraMantis Black's final track Gloom of Prosperity crashes to a close.

There is something very disturbing about the way that the bands frontman, the professional wrestler UltraMantis Black himself, leads the band on their unholy charge. There is a very distinct evil power behind this record that you simply can not deny. The colossal crunch of tracks like Oil and Gas leaves you feeling brutalized, unsure of how to proceed after the barrage of blows the music laid down. These guys play it fast and loose, held together by empathy more than anything else. As UltraMantis Black drives its way into your skull it is easy to see why these Bethlehem rockers have drawn Relapses attention, no one else is as crazy as them, and no one could be as crazy if they tried.

So let yourself embrace the inhuman screeches of UltraMantis Black the grinding blasts that define this record may take some getting used too, but falling into the devilish pit that seems so natural to UltraMantis Black is far too much fun. By the time Gloom of Prosperity kicks in the band has not been on for nearly long enough. Even though the run time is over ten minute it rarely ever feels like more than two. This record takes some getting used to, but reaping the rewards is far too much fun, sell your soul and join the fray, you know you want to.